The Other Chronicles
by Chi Yagami
Summary: Susan & her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly and turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter. PeterSusan
1. The Two Wardrobes

Disclaimer: I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia.

mmm, yeah, so recently I watched both _The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe_, and _Prince Caspian_. I got the soundtrack and have been listening to it Constantly! I also went through my old laptop and pulled a lot of stuff off there, one story being a Narnia chapter I wrote some time ago. I have no clue what the original plot was, only that it was a Peter/Susan story (I hadn't read any of the other books yet and there were no other guys to pair her with). So I revamped this thing and have 3 chapters now. I don't think you have to have seen the movie or read the book to understand it, as this is AUish.

It is still Peter/Susan, but it's not incest... if you don't wanna read though, then don't.

Summary: Susan and her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly, and she turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter.

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_Part I  
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_Chapter I – __The Two Wardrobes_

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Susan Pevensie was a creative and open-minded girl. She had read many fairytales and fantasy stories, and she loved to try on her mother's gowns and cosmetics. Sometimes she would even play 'house' with her brother and the cat. However, while Susan was perfectly fine _pretending_ things, she had a much harder time actually _believing_ them.

"Edmund, this house is not haunted," she said for what felt like the hundredth time that week. Her brother was convinced that the professor's house was inhabited by spirits and other unearthly things. Once a likeable person, Edmund had lately been a total brat. Even before their mother had sent them to live with the professor, he had acted nasty and distant. Susan could not recall exactly when he had changed from the kind younger brother into the rude teenager he was now, but it had started shortly after their father left for war and Edmund had begun middle school. He began to skip classes and his friends stopped visiting; he picked on Susan at home and criticized the new responsibilities their mother had taken on. As sad as she knew her mother was at having to send her children away, Susan knew that her mother would find relief from Edmund's constant remarks.

"Don't tell me what to think," Edmund snapped back. "I've heard weird noises at night… things scratching at the walls! You just can't hear them!"

"Fine, then prove it," she replied, tired of arguing. "Just leave me alone until you can prove this house is haunted. I'm going to bed."

Susan left the sitting room, with Edmund looking after her sulkily. She went up to the second landing and into the bedroom she shared with him; she grabbed her nightdress and went into the bathroom, wanting to be sound asleep by the time Edmund decided to stop ghost-hunting. As she brushed her teeth, she thought of her mother, alone and vulnerable in the hazardous city of London. What would happen if her mother got ill? What about the bombs, what if one… No, Susan shook her head; she would not ask such dangerous questions. No use getting upset over something that had not happened. If it _did_ happen… well she wasn't thinking about that now. She slipped into her purple nightgown, tying the ribbon that wrapped under her bust. She would need a new one soon; this one was getting tight, and her mother had given it to her three years ago. But there had been no time for shopping before the evacuation.

"Susan, hurry up in there! Stop trying to look pretty and get out," Edmund said in a bothered voice. "Not even makeup can hide your unfortunate looks!"

She wanted to yell back, but Susan was afraid she might wake the professor, or worse, Mrs. Macready. Mrs. Macready was the housekeeper, and a very strict one. She had sent Susan to bed with no dinner after Edmund lied and said that she had thrown the baseball through the window. However, Mrs. Macready could tell that Edmund was an awful boy and had sent him straight to bed as well. She had been in an especially foul mood the morning that Edmund had begun his 'this house is haunted' story. And every time he was punished for telling lies, Susan was too. If only the professor had been a kind man, Susan might have been able to cope with the housekeeper; however, the professor had yet to show himself, and Susan feared he was actually instructing Mrs. Macready to be horrible.

"Calm down, Ed," she responded quietly, opening the bathroom door. "That bitter look might get stuck on your face."

He shoved her aside as he passed and said, "Better than the ugly one that is on yours!" Then he slammed the door in her face.

Trying not to let her brother's words upset her, Susan climbed into bed and tried to fall asleep. She heard Edmund enter the room minutes later, closing the door behind him. Thankfully he didn't try to convince her of ghosts, or complain about how ugly she was again. Susan knew she was not an ogre, but she loved her brother and it still hurt when he was mean. After several long minutes of Edmund's light snores, she crept out of bed and carefully opened the door, checking to make sure her brother stayed asleep. Then she tiptoed across the hall into the bathroom and locked herself in. Under the light of the full moon, Susan slipped her bra back on, causing the nightdress to be even tighter, but achieving a look of maturity. Then she took a small pouch out from one of the sink drawers. Inside lay some old cosmetics she had managed to sneak past her mother's eyes: blush, lipstick, eyeliner, and some brushes. She darkened her lids, painted her lips, and reddened her cheeks. Much better, she thought to herself.

A flash of lightning caused her jump, and prepared her for the booming crack of thunder that followed. Peering out the small window, Susan saw heavy rain begin to hit the ground, soaking Mrs. Macready's dry laundry. She let out a soft giggle, picturing in her mind the grumpy woman having to rewash _and_ re-dry her clothes. She quieted her laugh suddenly, hearing a large _creak!_ from outside the bathroom.

She bit her lip. It was probably just Edmund, coming to torment her again. Then she heard it again, and it sounded heavier than a footstep of his. She clasped her hands together nervously, but then scolded herself for being so scared. Edmund's stories had gotten to her, that was all. It had to be the professor, coming up from his study; there was no other explanation. Susan's breath hitched, however, as the doorknob turned. She panicked and grabbed her toothbrush; perhaps she could stab whatever it was in the eye. The lock clicked, and the door opened. Susan cried out, backed up, and slipped on the bathmat; she landed hard on the tiled floor and peered up at the intruder.

"Brushing our teeth in the dark, are we?" came the harsh voice of Mrs. Macready, Edmund peering around her should with a smug grin. "Get back in bed before I take away your breakfast!"

Susan hastily complied, glad that Mrs. Macready did not seem to notice the makeup, sure that it would have meant punishment. She quickly got back in bed, heard Edmund do the same, and then the housekeeper closed and locked the door.

"I hope she opens that in the morning," Edmund whined from his side of the room.

"It's your fault, you know," she whispered back. "You just _had_ to go fetch her…"

"I was only trying to get _you_ in trouble, not me."

Susan held back a retort, and tried to focus on falling asleep. Even without Edmund's snores, she was having trouble. Wait… why wasn't he snoring? She concentrated, but heard nothing. Then she heard it. A soft kind of scratching that sounded far away and yet so close, similar to when Susan used to put her head down on the school desk, and then tapped on the underside of it with her fingers. What in the world was her brother doing?

"Edmund," she whispered, "stop that; I can't fall asleep."

"Caught on finally, have you?" he asked. "That's the noise I keep hearing!"

"What is it?"

"I don't know," he answered irritably. Then, as if it were the obvious answer, he said, "Maybe it's a ghost?"

Edmund had been restless since the first day when Mrs. Macready forbid them from exploring the house. Deprived of activity, he had clung to his haunted house theory, hoping for some excitement in the form of a ghost. Susan sat up and looked over at him. "Well, let's think logically. It must be a branch at the window or something. It _is_ storming outside."

"Su, I've been hearing this all week!" he argued, using her nickname. She loved it when he called her that; if he still had a pet name for her, he wasn't completely lost. "Help me look around the room!" he commanded

Deciding she would not get sleep either way, Susan lit two candles and handed one to Edmund. The two siblings walked around their small bedroom, looking for mouse holes or cracks in the windows. Susan looked behind the beds and under the dresser, while Edmund climbed into the large closet wardrobe, making noise pushing around the coat hangers. "Shh, Ed," she warned. "You're being too noisy, and I don't even hear it anymore."

However, she had no sooner said that than the scratching resumed, louder. She turned toward the wardrobe, and Edmund popped his head out.

"Susan, come quick!" he said excitedly, ducking back into the closet.

She hesitated, fearing he had found a raccoon or some other animal. She opened the wardrobe door to see Edmund standing in front of a long passageway. "Ed, what did you do?"

"I just leaned on the wall!" he snapped. "It's not my fault the wall caved in! Come on, Susan, let's go!"

"Go? Go where?" she asked. "Down the tunnel? No thank you, I've had quite enough nonsense for one night. Besides, what if we run into Mrs. Macready?"

Edmund scoffed, "You are no fun. You're just plain old Susan, as I thought. Well, I'm going! I bet it leads to a treasure room... or an old library."

She knew he had added the last part just to peak her interest, but it had worked. "Alright… but let me put on some shoes; I am not getting back in bed with dirty feet." She put on her slippers, and Edmund did the same, also grabbing his bathrobe. The two climbed back into the wardrobe and entered the dark tunnel.

"I can't see anything," Susan complained, for they blown out their candles before leaving (the flames might have caught one of the wardrobe clothes on fire). Suddenly a beam of light was cast from behind her, and she turned to see Edmund holding out his torch. "Oh good, you brought that!"

She let him take the lead, following close behind. They walked for about ten minutes, before reaching a dead end. "Perhaps it opens on the other side?" Edmund suggested. His sister didn't want to risk it opening into someone's bedroom, but she was too slow in stopping him from leaning on the wall.

Nothing happened. Susan sighed with content and leaned against a conjoining wall. She felt it move behind her, and she tumbled out into a large room, diming lit by small windows. Edmund jumped out after her, a triumphant look upon his handsome features. "I was right! It _is_ a library."

Susan rubbed her bruised knee and glanced around. It was indeed a library, a beautiful, old library like one she had always longed to visit. Edmund was already browsing the shelves, no doubt looking for a book about war. She felt he was trying to read up on what shooting someone was really like, and she had a bad feeling it had something to do with their father. And there were plenty of books about war in this library! Susan guessed the Professor was a historian, for the room was full of history books and artifacts. Unfortunately, there were no fantasy books, but she was satisfied with a book about the Medieval Ages. The two teenagers spent hours poring over their books, and they did not even notice when dawn began to creep through the windows. It was only when they heard a door slam downstairs that they realized how late it was.

"Oh no," Susan gasped, closing the book and placing it on a table carelessly. "It's Mrs. Macready! She always wakes at the crack of dawn! Quick, back into the tunnel!"

"But how will we close the door? There's no handle on the inside!"

Suddenly there were footsteps approaching from the left door. Edmund pushed the wall-door closed, and then the siblings ran to the right, where another door led into an opposite corridor. Closing it behind them, they raced down the hall, hoping to reach their room before the housekeeper did.

"Professor, I'm bringing up your breakfast," Mrs. Macready's voice carried up the stairs next to Susan.

Edmund glanced frightfully at the stairs before he took off running back toward the library. Susan went after him as he tried to open one of the other doors. "It won't open!" he whispered frantically. His sister rolled her eyes, even in the panic, and opened the door next to it. Frowning as if she had beaten him at chess, Edmund followed, closed the door and locked it, and then turned to see why Susan had stopped so suddenly.

The only thing in the room was a large wardrobe, much larger than the one in their bedroom. Susan realized that the wardrobe was not as big as she thought, but rather the room was very little. The door was polished and ornately carved, with a tree as the main picture. Surrounding the tree were a crown, sun, mountain, castle, and two unicorns. The two stood there, mesmerized, just staring at the massive armoire. Then, from somewhere in the house, Mrs. Macready's voice barked unexpectedly, "_The children are missing!_"

Edmund did not give it a second thought as he yanked open the door and climbed inside, pulling Susan in after him. They pulled the door shut, but before it latched Susan pushed back. "What?" Edmund hissed. "You want her to find us?"

"No, but one should never close a door on oneself when there is no handle on the inside!" she whispered back, leaving the door to barely rest against the latch. Susan gasped as she saw the doorknob turn without success, and she backed up on Edmund's foot. Muttering several words she never would have used, her brother walked further into the wardrobe, pushing coats out of the way. Susan followed, occasionally glancing back at the door, but they walked so deep into the wardrobe that soon she could no longer see back into the room. Suddenly Edmund tripped on something, and he grabbed Susan's arm to catch himself. The action failed, and the two fell into a heap of limbs and tree branches… and snow…?

Susan gasped again, this time forgetting to keep her voice down. They had fallen out of the wardrobe into a snow-covered forest. Everywhere she looked there were thick trees, as tall as the eye could see. Snow was lazily drifting down through the branches, collecting on the ground and some on the lamppost. She briefly wondered what a lamppost was doing in the middle of a forest and who had lit it, before she realized that she _really was standing in a snow-covered forest complete with lamppost_.

"Where… where are we?" she asked aloud, not really expecting an answer. "We're still inside the wardrobe, right, Ed?"

When he didn't answer, she fearfully looked around, images of lions and tigers or bears forming in her mind. However, she did not need to worry long; Edmund was making a rather deformed snowman in the middle of a small road.

"Look, Susan, it's you," he teased, drawing a rather unattractive frown on the snowman's face.

"Come on, Ed, let's go back," she offered. "We'll get in trouble—"

"Get in trouble? Of course we will, Susan, _if_ we go back! Where's your sense of adventure? Just look at where we are!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms out. "We're in a wardrobe where it's _snowing_! Besides, if we go back, Mrs. Macready will get us!"

"I don't know exactly what happened, but we must have fallen outside the house," Susan reasoned. "It's a freak weather accident…" Even as she told herself this, she could not find the Professor's house in any direction; the man lived on a plantation, not in a wood. She felt a cold wind blow through her thin nightdress, and she wished she had grabbed a robe like Edmund.


	2. The Snow Queen

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Many thanks to those of you who reviewed and faved! I'm glad you all like it so far. For your info... it will not just cover The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe... but it will not be a rewrite of the original 7 books. There are three parts, and while other characters from the series might appear, it will not be exactly the same, so you'll have to wait and see what happens!!

I know Edmund and Susan might be a bit OOC... I did go back and rewrite a bit of Chapter 1, if you want to look, to make Ed seem more in character. But, without Lucy, I needed the two siblings to be a little more... adventurous than usual. So please bear with me.

Summary: Susan and her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly, and she turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter.

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_Part I_

_Chapter II – The Snow Queen_

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The sound of jingle bells appeared in the air; something was approaching on the road. Edmund, not wanting to be caught building obstructions, raced away into the bushes. Susan trailed behind him, planning to drag his adventurous self back home the next chance she got. She crouched next to her brother, who whispered, "Fifty points if they take off his head!"

A white sleigh whirled past, crashing straight into the atrocious snowman. They heard the sled halt, and the bells stopped ringing. Susan gripped her brother's arm, but he easily pushed her away, and leapt out to reveal himself. "And the winner is…!" he started to laugh, but it quickly turned into a terrified cry. She hastened to her brother's side, only to wish she had stayed hidden.

A small but fearsome-looking midget was holding his blade at Edmund; when Susan joined him, he moved it between the two, his message loud and clear: _move and this goes straight through your neck_. She took in his long beard, dirt appearance, and, judging by the pictures in fairytale books, this was a dwarf. The dwarf slightly turned his head to speak behind him, "Yer majesty, I caught the litlll beasts that did it!" The two followed his voice, and this time it was Edmund who gasped.

Susan didn't know whether to be in fear or awe; she watched her breath rise into wispy circles in the cold air, dancing around the most the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had pale white skin and long, silvery-blonde hair. She was wrapped in white furs, standing in her sleigh looking invincible, a crown of icicles sitting on top of her head. When she stepped out of the sledge, Susan let out the breath she had been holding: the woman was at least seven feet tall!

"What are these?" she asked in a cold, uncaring tone.

"About to be dead, yer majesty," the dwarf answered, jabbing his knife at Edmund. Then he turned to the siblings. "Why aren'tcha bowing?! The Queen of Narnia stands before ya!"

Edmund stuttered to find his voice. "We didn't know! We're not from around here—!"

"Where are you from?" the queen demanded. "Are you… _human_?"

"Yes, we're from Finchley, London," he replied quickly, and Susan wondered why the queen was asking such ridiculous questions… of course they were human. Was this woman a friend of the Professor's? Why was she calling herself a queen? Susan felt they should leave now, before becoming too involved with this stranger, but Edmund was stammering to explain that they had gotten lost and arrived in this forest, saying, "We don't even know what Narnia is!"

"Narnia is my country, and I am Queen Jadis, Imperial Majesty of Narnia, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands," she greeted, and Susan saw a flicker of something dark on the queen's face, before her expression melted into a friendly one. Even then, the smile was forced. She whispered to Edmund her desire to leave, but he just sneered. "You're so boring! And here we were having fun," he whispered.

"Tell me, dear children, what are your names?" Jadis asked, returning to her sleigh. "Come sit with me and get warm."

"I'm Edmund, your majesty, and this is my sister Susan. And I'm not a child; I am thirteen!"

Susan did not trust the woman. They were still at the Professor's house, which was somewhere around here, the weather was merely a freak accident, and this lady and her midget sleigh driver where probably actors. Or kidnappers, she thought. They were not in _Narnia_, wherever that was, and Susan had never heard of Cair Paravel or the Lone Islands. There had to be a logical explanation, and she was going to find it. However, the dwarf's dagger was real enough for her to play along for the time being. She also could not leave Edmund alone, and he had no interest in leaving it seemed.

"No, not a child at all," the queen agreed, making room for her guests. She wrapped her furs around Edmund and said, "Why, you are practically a man!" Her brother smiled, but Jadis had not extended the furs to Susan, who was now freezing.

"Would you two like something warm to drink?" Jadis asked, taking out a tiny vial.

"Yes, your majesty," Edmund said greedily.

Susan, feeling unwelcomed, declined and said she had an upset stomach. The queen's face became unreadable, but she smiled slightly at Edmund, and opened the vial. She turned it over above the ground, allowing a single drop to fall on the snow. Their eyes grew wide as the drop formed an icicle, which wound itself into a crystal goblet full of hot chocolate. The dwarf handed this to Edmund, who drank covetously. Susan, embarrassed by her rude brother, smiled apologetically at the dwarf. The dwarf, however, gave her a nasty grin in return. Her smile plunge into her throat.

"How did you do that?" her brother, having finished the drink quickly, was asking.

Queen Jadis replied, "I can make anything you like."

"Can you take us home?" Susan dared to request, hoping the dwarf would not reach for his blade. She wanted to get away from this nonsense as soon as possible.

The queen, however, only smiled sweetly and said, "I can make anything you like to _eat_."

Edmund laughed at his sister's stupid question and asked if he could have some Turkish Delight. Once again, she used her vial, and this time a silver box encrusted with diamonds formed, with at least twenty pieces of the sugary confection inside. The dwarf handed the box to Edmund, and he began eating ravenously.

"Susan," Queen Jadis addressed her, "I feel terrible that I have fed and nourished your brother, but your stomach is upset. Isn't there anything you want?" Susan started to say, 'I want to go home,' but the queen interrupted, saying, "Here, I want you to have this."

She reached behind her neck and unfastened a chain that Susan had not noticed before. On the silvery chain were tiny icicles that joined to form a heart. The queen placed it around the girl's neck and fastened the lock. Susan felt her insides turn to ice, but the queen was looking at her expectantly, so she smiled and pretended to admire it while secretly plotting to escape. She could see Edmund eyeing her jewelry enviously, but, not wanting to look like a brat in front of a queen, he kept quiet. She watched the dwarf climb into the driver's seat and before she could tell him to stop, he whipped the polar bears that were tied to the reigns. They took off, moving quickly across the snow. They were soon so far from the spot where Edmund's snowman had been that Susan knew she would never be able to find her way back; she could not even see the lamppost. "Where are we going?" she asked.

The empress smiled widely, revealing snow-white teeth. "We are headed for my ice palace. I have no children of my own, and I would like very much to make the two of you my heirs. One day, you shall be King and Queen."

"You're going to make me marry my sister?" Edmund choked, obviously disgusted.

"Of course not," the queen laughed coldly. "You would be the High King, and your sister the Queen, together you will rule jointly."

Susan tried to decline offer and insist that they be taken home, but she found she could not speak. All that came out of her mouth were cold bursts of air. She felt colder than she ever had in her entire life, and her skin looked pale, practically white, making the snow-covered landscapes seem manila-colored in comparison. Soon they were approaching two hills, and Susan saw a small castle nestled between them. Why wasn't Edmund thinking clearly? Why could he not see that they were being kidnapped?

"Welcome, my dears, to your new home," the queen stated. Edmund's eyes were full of wonder, and Susan's were filled with suspicions, but she still could not speak a word.

The queen led them inside, where it was even colder. Susan knew it must be well below freezing in the palace, but no matter how much she rubbed her arms, she could get no warmer. Edmund, who did not seem to have noticed the drop in temperature, ran over to a large balcony overlooking the river that ran under the drawbridge. "Your majesty, why is that river flowing?" he asked. "Surely it ought to be frozen!"

"Ah, that is my special river, Edmund! All living things need water to survive, and so, though it is very cold, my river remains unfrozen for drinking purposes. It runs all the way out to a large pond near Cair Paravel, my other castle."

"Why don't you live there?" he asked, squinting to see the other castle across the horizon.

"I built this palace, and so I am more comfortable here."

"When I am a king, I will visit this other palace!" her brother said importantly. Susan tried to think up a way to communicate her escape plan without the queen noticing. And without talking. She had a feeling it might be caused by the necklace, and Susan swiftly tried to unhook it, but she could find no latch. She tugged at it, hoping to break the chain, and had no success.

"Your majesty, when will I be a king?" Edmund asked impatiently. Queen Jadis smiled, and she pulled an icy scepter from beneath her furs.

"Unfortunately, Edmund, I am immortal. I will live forever and never die," she explained. "But fear not… You will remain here forever too."

Susan made to grab him, but the queen reached Edmund first. Jadis touched her staff at his chest, and a horrible crunching noise erupted. Susan screamed, forgetting she could not speak, and she was blasted back by an invisible force. Hitting the balcony railing, she steadied herself, and she looked up to see that her brother was gone. Instead, a large crystal structure stood where Edmund had been, and she realized that he _was_ the statue: he had been turned to stone. He had not even sensed what had happened, and there was a confused expression carved into his face. The queen was standing unhurt, satisfied. Then, she turned her cold eyes on Susan and raised her staff.

"You want him back?" she asked mockingly. "That will never happen! You have nothing to offer and are in no state to fight me. You and your brother should have kept your noses in your own business. At least _he_ was easy to manipulate; I had to give you that crystal to shut you up!" Jadis explained, taking a step forward. "It has been slowly stealing the heat from your body, causing it to shut down. Your loss of voice proves it, and soon you won't be able to move. You will eventually die as the crystal becomes one with your body and reaches a temperature so low that you will succumb to death rather than endure it."

Susan pressed her back against the railing as hard as she could. Seeing her fear, the queen laughed cruelly. "Or I could kill you now; I'm not quite sure which would be more enjoyable to me."

Susan rammed herself against the railing again, and this time it broke, the ice crumbling. Unable to stop herself, she fell with the momentum and looked up to see the queen's face full of rage. Susan continued to fall, wondering if she would land in the river as she had planned, or if she might hit rocks instead.

She broke the river's surface headfirst, sinking deep into the arctic waters. Come on, arms, Susan told her body, work! Trying to ignore the frozen spots on her body, she kicked hard and swam up. Her first breath of chilly air was like the welcome she had yet to receive. Suspecting that the queen would come after her, Susan forced herself to swim toward the way they had come from, away from the queen and her palace… away from Edmund. Her brother! She had to go back! But she couldn't go back now, not like this; she was so weak, it was taking all the strength she had (and some) just to move her arms. She could never face Queen Jadis in her current state. No, she would go fetch help and come back. Yes, that sounded like a plan.

The river's current picked up, and Susan found that she no longer needed to swim. She let it carry her further from the castle, until she could no longer see it. She was fairly confident that she would find her way back once she had help; she would just follow the river to the west, for (as she just noticed) it was evening, and she was floating away from the sun. But how could it already be evening? It had only been an hour ago, two at most, that she and Edmund had climbed into the wardrobe. It should be about time for breakfast, not dinner.

The current slowed and emptied into a large lake, presumably the 'pond' the queen had mentioned. Reaching shallow waters, Susan pulled herself ashore using only her arms, for as Jadis had predicted, her body was shutting down. Her legs had been sitting for too long in the cold water. She crawled with her arms until she was at a comfortable distance with the river. Then she let out a huge breath and collapsed into the snow. Perhaps she would die here…

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to be continued...

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_please review and let me know what you think!_


	3. Aslan's Prophecy

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

a bit shorter than the last two chapters... but I figure if I can write shorter chapters, this will be updated faster! My longest chapter ever has been 50 pages, 17000 words long, and it took half a year to write! I'm sure you all don't want to wait that long hehehe

Summary: Susan and her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly, and she turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter.

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_Part I_

_Chapter III __– Aslan's Prophecy_

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The dwarf Trumpkin contently watched his little queen play with some forest animals. He checked to make sure that the other guard, the gryphon, was patrolling the nearby skies. Any sign of danger, and he and the queen were to climb on the gryphon and leave the royal carriage behind. However, there were no threats so far, and so the queen had been able to have a very lovely lunch out by the lake. They were to head back soon, and the queen had just gone down to the water to wash her hands. And then she let out a scream.

Trumpkin rushed through the snow, arriving at her side in seconds. "What is it, my lady? Is it the White Witch?" he asked protectively, fingering his dagger.

"No, but look!" Queen Lucy cried, pointing at something a few feet away. "There's a girl there!"

Trumpkin motioned for Lucy to stay behind him as the two approached the unconscious girl. She was soaked to the bone from head to toe, and there was a frightening bluish tint to her skin. However, her red lips and cheeks and dark eyes stood out against her pale complexion, and she appeared to be alive.

"Look!" Lucy said, pointing at the girl's neck. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was one of the White Witch's cursed necklaces; the jewelry slowly froze a person from the inside out until they died, a punishment reserved for those who had wrong the witch greatly. What had this girl done to deserve such a fate?

"Quickly, we must get her into the carriage," Trumpkin said. "An enemy of the Witch's is a friend of ours, so we must get her to a fire."

"My brother's room has the largest fireplace," Lucy offered. "I'll send word with the gryphon to have them set a cot near it, and have other medicine on hand."

"No, my queen, you should go with the gryphon and deliver the message yourself; I can manage the carriage myself."

"I want to stay with her," Lucy replied firmly. The she called out to the gryphon, which flew down at once. She instructed it to fly ahead to the castle and inform her brother of what had happened, and to prepare a warm bed, for they were bringing an injured woman. The poor gryphon, however, spoke little of the English language. It looked at the scene, understanding at least that the queen wanted it to send a message to her brother about the pale girl. The gryphon just didn't know how to convey it in her language.

As Trumpkin and Queen Lucy dragged the girl into the carriage, the gryphon took off for the castle, Cair Paravel. It arrived within minutes and flew over the gates straight into the Great Hall, where Lucy's brother was being fitted for new armour.

High King Peter heard the gryphon before he saw it, and he stopped the armourer from taking further measurements, leaving to meet the winged creature that was supposed to be protecting his sister.

"What is it?" he demanded. "Is Lucy hurt? Is she okay?"

The gryphon had difficulty in finding words, but it finally said, "Help… woman. Help white woman…coming soon."

Peter clenched his fists; the White Witch was after Lucy! "All guards to the front gates!" he immediately called out. "Hurry! The White Witch is coming!"

A nearby servant heard the call and ran to the bell tower, pulling on the ropes to send out the alert across the castle grounds. The king did not bother to remove the unfinished armour; he would need it if they had to battle. While the Old Queen's protective enchantments had not faded yet, they had been weakening since the time of her death a year ago, and Peter was unsure if the Witch would be able to push through this time. He could not take any chances; they had to be ready. Although his army was small, he would fight the Witch if it came to that. They would defeat her or they would die trying.

After retrieving his old helmet, Peter joined the other men outside on the grounds. There they waited nervously, glancing across the land outside the gates, where the enchantments did not reach. Peter only hoped that Lucy appeared before the Witch did. If the Witch appeared first, he feared the worst.

"King Peter, a carriage approaches!" one of the guards along the parapet wall cried. "It is Queen Lucy's!"

"Be careful, men," Peter warned. "The Witch could be inside!" He called up to the gatekeeper and told him not to open the gates. Seeing that the gates would remain closed, the carriage pulled up closer, and the men could see Trumpkin in the driver's seat, motioning them to open the gate. Before Peter could give warning, the gatekeeper opened them, never dreaming that the Witch could be controlling their friend. Peter, on the other hand, knew better.

He drew his sword and told Trumpkin to remain where he was. The dwarf knew it was protocol, but he still rolled his eyes. The carriage door burst open, and Queen Lucy jumped out, running at her brother.

"Peter, Peter! Did you get my message?" she asked breathlessly. "Quick, get her inside!"

"Her? Lucy, what are you talking about?" he asked. "I was told the White Witch was coming."

Lucy frowned. "Oh I forgot the gryphon does not speak English! The poor dear, I'm sure it did its best! Peter, we found an unconscious woman at the lake! She's still wet, and the Witch cursed her!"

Hearing this, Peter ran over to the carriage and peered inside for himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but as he saw what lay inside, he forgot what is was that he had wanted to say. A beautiful girl was lying on one of the seats, stretched out on her back with one arm rested across her stomach and the other hanging limply. Her damp hair clung to her bluish skin, and he could practically see through her thin garment. Studying her face, Peter saw that her cheeks were still red.

"Hurry, Peter!" Lucy ordered, snapping him from his thoughts. "Cut off that necklace with your sword!"

Peter unsheathed his great sword, which was imbibed with the strength of a lion, and grabbed the chain with his gloved hand. In one smooth wave of his blade, he sliced the chain, causing it to melt and disappear. The girl's throat, which had been holding back so many words under the force of the curse, was released, and a bunch of incoherent words came out of her mouth, startling the king. Seeing that she was starting to breathe normally, he put his sword back and tried to take the girl from the carriage. However, she was heavier than he expected, and several guards had to help. Lucy had already told three maids what to prepare, and she closely followed her brother back inside up to his chamber. A powerful fire was already roaring when they entered, and the maids, unable to find a cot, had pushed Peter's bed close to the fireplace. On a nightstand were a mug of warm water and several washcloths.

They laid her on the floor, and Peter told Lucy to have her changed into dry clothes so that the sheets would not get wet. Then he left, closing the door so that the women would have privacy.

* * *

Returning to the throne room, he relinquished his armour and sank upon his throne, feeling exhausted even though he had not done much. The dwarf Trumpkin, and another close friend, a faun named Mr. Tumnus, knelt before him, informing him that the gates were closed and the White Witch had never appeared.

"What does this mean?" Trumpkin inquired. "What do you think that poor girl did to earn her a cursed crystal?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mr. Tumnus said, surprising the other two. When they said nothing, he continued, "Surely you remember Aslan's prophecy? The one he made to your mother, the Old Queen, before she died?"

"Se told us Aslan said to protect the palace with her magic, so that Lucy and I could survive without her… but I don't remember anything about a prophecy," the young king answered.

"Well, according to your mother, Aslan prophesized two children would come from the Human word to save ours, to end the White Witch's hundred-year rule. They were to restore you and your sister to your rightful throne, but somehow the Witch gained this knowledge and has been after humans ever since!"

"You think that girl is a human?"

"Why else was the Witch so intent on killing her?" the faun questioned.

"But if the humans pose such a great threat, why didn't she just kill the girl quickly? Get it over with? And you said Aslan mentioned _two_ human children, not one… besides, that girl is hardly a child; she looks older than Peter."

Mr. Tumnus looked defeated, but turned to the king for the final word.

"We'll simply ask her what happened when she wakes. Trumpkin, make sure all guards know that the White Witch could attack; she might come looking for the girl. Mr. Tumnus, please inform the cook to prepare a hot dinner, and that we have a guest."

Both nodded and left the throne room, and Peter decided to go check on the girl. When he came to his bedroom, the door was closed, so, just in case, he knocked. He heard Lucy tell him it was all right to enter, and he did.

"We dried her, gave her warm clothes, and put in warming pans at the foot of the bed," Lucy informed him. "A maid will be back in an hour to put in fresh coals."

"Is she wearing your nightgown?"

"No, a maid's; mine was too small. Another maid is hanging her clothes to dry. She was wearing those," Lucy said, pointing to the slippers that were drying by the hearth. "And she started moaning in her sleep."

"Has she said anything?" Peter asked, watching the girl's face. Now that her color was returning, her cheeks did not seem as red; he guessed she was wearing dark cosmetics. She was actually very pretty.

"I think she said something about a lover," Lucy replied, blushing. "Or maybe it was her brother… And she keeps calling for someone named Edmund."

Edmund? Peter did not know anyone by that name, but, by the sound of it… this Edmund might be a human too. Could Mr. Tumnus's theory be true? If only Aslan would visit again, then Peter could ask him; the great lion had not been seen since Jadis took over. The likely explanation was that this girl was a Narnian female, whose ancestors (like his and Lucy's) had been humans, but the current generations were some sort of mix.

"Call for me when she wakes," he instructed. "We'll figure out how to get her back home."

* * *

_I know what you're all thinking...._

_z0mg Peter's younger than Susan?!?!?!?! never fear! it has its purpose! it will work itself out before the end of the story :)_


	4. When The Time Is Right

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

-mkay, So glad you all are enjoying this! chapters will be slower now, about once a week. this one is 'the backstory' chapter, boring action-wise, but necessary to the story....

Summary: Susan and her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly, and she turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter.

* * *

_Part I_

_Chapter IV __– When The Time Is Right  
_

_

* * *

_

Unable to open her eyes, Susan struggled to remember what had happened. After falling into the river, she had crawled ashore… to where? She was no longer lying in the cold snow, and though her throat burned from the curse, she was certain the necklace was gone and that she could speak again. Susan was a realistic person, but most of her body was too stiff to be imagination. If her body wasn't so weak, she might have hoped it was all a dream and that she was still in bed. Well, she was in bed; it just was not _her_ bed. She wanted to open her eyes, but they were frozen shut.

"Edmund… where are you?" she mumbled.

"Your majesty, she spoke again!" a woman cried from somewhere nearby. "I think she might be coming around."

_Your majesty…_ Had Jadis found her already? Susan's heart rate doubled as she fought to raise her arms or legs, to do something! "Get… away!" she coughed, which was about as much as she could do.

"Are you awake, Miss?" a young voice asked. It was female, but too high to be Jadis's.

"I can't see…"

"Quick, Marta, the cloth! Put it on her eyes; I can't believe we forgot that!" the young voice said, and Susan heard the first voice, Marta's, answer. The next thing she knew, her eyes felt cold, numb, and warm all at once. Then hot water was leaking under her lids and burning. "Stop!" she cried, finally swinging an arm out and bringing it to her face. She pulled off the cloth and wiped her eyes. Slowly, she cracked them open.

The woman was wearing a brown dress that looked unfortunate. Squinting, Susan guessed that, in her efforts to move her arm, she had almost hit this Marta person; she was cowering back, stooping to get the discarded rag. Susan turned her head and found the source of the high voice, a little girl, probably around seven or eight years old. Though she was dressed richly, her gown was something that Susan might have found in the Professor's house: handed down and forgotten. The girl jumped happily, her petite tiara wobbling.

"Marta, go tell Peter that she's awake!" she exclaimed, ushering the maid out of the room. Then she skipped back over to Susan's bed and said, "We've all been so worried about you!"

"What… what happened?" Susan asked, her head spinning as she tried to sit up.

The girl helped her, saying, "We found you by the lake; you were frozen and unconscious, so Trumpkin and I (that's my bodyguard) brought you back here to warm you up! Thank goodness we got back and Peter was able to cut off that necklace, or you might be dead."

"Peter…?" Susan noticed that the necklace was indeed gone, and she sighed with relief.

"Peter is my brother; he will be here soon— Peter!" the girl said, and Susan looked up to see a boy striding into the room.

He was about Edmund's height and age, maybe a year or two younger. However, he carried himself with the air of a man, walking importantly and dismissing the two soldiers and Marta who had followed him. A crown, slightly too big, sat crookedly on his blonde head.

"You're awake, good," he said business-like. "That necklace would have killed you if my sister Lucy here had not found you."

"Are you Queen Jadis's children?" Susan inquired before she could stop herself.

The two children looked at each other. Lucy looked torn between laughing and crying, but Peter only seemed startled. "Why do you ask such a thing?" he demanded.

"Well, you are both wearing crowns… and if she's the queen," Susan trailed off, watching Peter's face turn red.

He stamped his foot and said hotly, "_She_ is no queen! The White Witch is an evil woman who stole my throne and took over Narnia!"

"The White Witch?"

"That's her real name, Jadis, the White Witch," Lucy explained. "She came here one hundred years ago from her world and took over. Our family was dethroned and put under house arrest here. She makes it always winter and never Christmas. I haven't had a Christmas in my life yet!"

Susan massaged her temples; everyone had gone mad. Perhaps the pain _was_ still part of her dream, and if so, she still had a chance to wake up. She pinched her arm and cheek hard at the same time, but all that happened was her skin turned red. But this can't be happening, she reminded herself. Your brother was kidnapped by a frozen lady and turned to stone… It sounded like something out of a fairytale! Actually, it sounded quite close to _The Snow Queen_, except in that story, the protagonist Gerda hadn't been kidnapped too. Perhaps if she went back to sleep, she would wake up normally…

"Not to sound rude, but I'm going back to sleep," she said, trying to turn over. Her legs were still numb, however, and she accomplished nothing.

"Wait!" Peter said. "You must tell us your story! Who are you and why is the White Witch after you?"

She glared at him in response. "You all are just figments of my imagination, and I'll forget all about this is the morning."

"I don't think she knows what is going on," Lucy whispered to her brother. Then, to Susan, she said, "Please, tell us what happened. Maybe we can help you."

Seeing that they were not about to leave her alone, Susan explained how she and her brother Edmund were forced to evacuate the city for the war, and how they were staying with the Professor. She recounted their adventure through the wardrobe and how the White Witch had kidnapped them, turning Edmund to stone before Susan had escaped.

"So, you fell through a wardrobe and landed in the woods?"

"That's what I said…" she replied exasperatedly.

"Is there any chance that you might be… human?" Peter asked watchfully.

What was it with these people? She replied, "Of_ course_ I'm human! Jadis asked the same question; I obviously look like a human! You yourself are human!"

"Wrong, we are Narnian humans," stated the boy-king. "Our ancestors were humans, but then they crossed over into Narnia by accident."

"Actually, our mother was a witch," Lucy added quietly. "Not an evil one, like Jadis, but a good one. And most witches have human appearances, so we couldn't be sure of _what_ you were."

"Well, why does it matter?" asked Susan. "Are you going to kill me for not being a… _Narnian_ or whatever?"

"No, but the White Witch will," Peter sharply answered. "So that's why she is after you… she is afraid that you and, Edmund was it? She is afraid the two of you will fulfill the prophecy and destroy her."

Susan could not help it; she began to laugh. The laughs hurt, but it was just so ridiculous that she had to! What a fairytale-like plot her dream had! She could picture it now: the main character must save her brother from the clutches of an evil witch, who believes the children to be the subjects of a prophecy that will doom her. Peter and Lucy were watching her warily, but Susan only stopped when she was overcome with a coughing fit.

"Well, should I remember all this when I wake, I will write it into a book!" she marveled aloud.

"You're not dreaming," Peter cut in. "You're not imagining this… or anything else. If you saw it, then the Witch really _did_ turn your brother to stone and she is likely to be after you, when she learns you are here at Cair Paravel. I would not be surprised if she arrives soon…"

"I thought she owned Cair Paravel," Susan asked. "I mean, that's what she told us."

Lucy handed her a glass of drinking water and said, "A hundred years ago, when she came here from her world, the White Witch killed our great-grandfather, the king then, and claimed this castle as her own. Later, she built her own icy fortress, which she likes better because she can make it as cold as she wants. Our great-grandmother, after witness her husband's murder, pleaded with the Witch to spare her and her child. In return for mercy, the Witch was given complete control of Narnia and the true royal family was forced to live here."

"Why didn't she just kill them?"

"Because, as my sister said, we are descended from Narnian humans, and _witches_. We could have fought if we wanted to; instead our great-grandmother spared many lives in handing over the throne. The Witch only allows us to live because we pose no threat. Well, not that she knows of anyway…"

"Where are your parents?" Susan asked.

It was a minute before Lucy replied in a quiet voice, "Our father died of an illness when I was young, and our mother died last year. Before she left, Aslan appeared in a dream and instructed her to place her magic around the castle, and in special objects, so that we would be protected even after she left."

Susan frowned, hardly believing what they were telling her. But she was also curious, and in the off chance that this _was_ true… "Who's Aslan?"

Aslan is the Lion that created this world, Peter explained. "Yes, a _lion_," he said before Susan could protest. He created the world of Narnia more than one thousand years ago, and the country had lived in peace up until Jadis entered somehow (only Aslan knew the details). No one ever knows where to find him, as he comes and goes as pleases.

"So if Aslan is so powerful, why doesn't he just kill Jadis?" Susan asked, dumbfounded as to why this great lion would not rescue his own world.

"Aslan is only as strong as people believe him to be," Lucy replied. "Many Narnians have forgotten about him, or have stopped believing. I, however, still believe that Aslan will come when the time is right."

Susan saw Peter give his sister a doubtful look, and understood that he considered Aslan to be out of the picture. "The time was right when the Witch took over! If he was alive still, he would already be here," he grumbled.

Susan slowly reached out and forced her legs to bend and stretch, helping them to move again. "Where are my clothes…?" she asked, realizing that she was wearing a strange nightgown.

"We're having them washed for you. You can wear these for now," the queen answered, pointing to a set of garments on a chair. "Our meal should be ready soon, so you can dress now if you like."

Blushing, Susan asked, "Where's… my bra?"

Peter blinked. "Your _what_?"

She tried again, "My… _bra_. I'd like it back even if it's not dry; I'm not walking around without it."

"You mean that corset thing that was around your… area," Lucy clarified, motioning with her hands. "It's hanging from the mantle, over the fire. The maids weren't sure what to do with it."

Embarrassed at having her undergarment hung from the fireplace like a stocking, she stumbled out of the bed and snatched it back. She almost lost her balance, but Peter reached out to steady her. It felt dry enough to wear. Susan looked at the other two, waiting for them to leave. Peter nodded and left swiftly. Lucy said she'd be right outside, waiting to lead the way down to dinner.

Susan fingered the thick fabric of her new gown; it was midnight blue, with a silver trim…very pretty. Then she asked aloud, "What am I getting myself into…?"

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

_I know in the 40s the bras were ugly, but I think Susan would still want one, as she's trying to be as grown-up as she can. Although, why Lucy knows what a corset is, beats me! She's not old enough, hehe!_


	5. Susan, Alone

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

-sorry the new chapter took so long! after spring break, my classes decided I needed to have more projects and exams! So I've been busy writing a documentary, filming Ken Honcho's _Hot or Not_, and nihongo o benkyou shimasu! I haven't been getting much sleep... and if I have, it's during class when I'm supposed to be awake! so please forgive me for the delay hehe.

Summary: Susan and her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly, and she turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter.

* * *

_Part I_

_Chapter V _–_ Susan, Alone_

* * *

Her first night at Cair Paravel was the hardest. Susan was not used to the Narnian ways of things, and she certainly wasn't a vegetarian. Lucy insisted that they never ate meat; the animals were their friends, not food. How could they kill and eat a talking chicken by the name of John? Fish, however, was the main staple, as fish were wild and could not talk; everyone in Narnia ate fish. The two royal siblings were astonished to here Susan explain that where she came from, animals did not talk and were a main source of protein. So Susan sat through a three-course meal of salmon-soup, roasted-salmon-and-vegetables, and salmon-cake. She politely refused the last dish.

Lucy went to the bathing room with Marta to wash up, so Susan returned to her room alone; the route was easy enough to follow. Climbing the stairs, she thought that it was probably a small castle, with only twenty rooms or so. Jadis's palace had look enormous from the outside, and she wondered what Cair Paravel looked like. Her room was a little ways down a corridor off the main staircase, across from a set of doors similar to hers, probably another bedroom. On the chair were her clothes, neatly folded, and a fresh nightgown. Her slippers were still by the fireplace, which now had a dim light poking through the ashes. After changing into the woolen gown, Susan jumped onto the bed, ready to burrow under the covers and wake up tomorrow in reality.

Someone, however, was already under said covers.

"OW! What's happening…?!" came Peter's voice as Susan landed on his legs. She screamed slightly and scrambled off the bed.

"Why are you in here?" she asked, one hand over her chest to steady the rapid heartbeat there.

The boy in bed cracked open an eyelid. "Oh, you," he grumbled. "What do you want?"

She stared at him. "You're in my bed…"

"_Your_ bed? I'll have you know that this is MY room!" Peter snapped, and tugging the covers back over his head, he added, "Now be gone, girl, so that I can go to sleep."

"I have a name you know!" Susan testily replied. "And where exactly am I supposed to sleep?"

The door opened then, and Lucy hurried in. "What's wrong? I heard someone scream…"

"Get her out of here Lu."

Lucy sighed at her brother's attitude, but motioned for Susan to follow her. The brunette grabbed her clothes and glared at the young king, before slamming the door behind her.

"Don't let him bother you, Susan. My brother is always grumpy."

"He could be a bit nicer," Susan offered. "I mean, my stuff was in that room; I woke up in there, logically I should sleep there…"

"Actually, that is my brother's room," Lucy explained. "After we rescued you, we put you there because Peter's room has the biggest fireplace, and you were colder than ice." Susan hummed in agreement and followed Lucy to another set of doors down the hall. The new room was similarly-styled to the old one, albeit smaller.

Lucy went over to writing table and pulled something from one of the drawers. "I want you to have this." She unwrapped a silk cloth to reveal a beautiful tiara, not unlike hers.

"It's lovely," Susan breathed and reached out to touch it, running her fingers over the tiny jewels. Looking up at Queen Lucy, she asked, "Why are you giving it to me?"

"I told you my mother saw Aslan in a dream; in the dream he told her to give up her magic and place it inside the castle. Well, while the castle _is_ protected, the magic is weakly spread throughout it. So she also put some inside our crowns: mine, Peter's, and hers," she explained. "I want you to have my mother's crown because I think you are in danger. This will protect you as long as you wear or hold it; its magic is very strong, and the White Witch would love to get her hands on it. The White Witch fully believes the prophecy and will stop at nothing to get rid of you, like she did your brother."

"My brother isn't dead," Susan argued. "None of this is really happening and tomorrow I'll wake up to Mrs. Macready's yells."

Lucy smiled sadly and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "No, your brother isn't dead; the Witch is probably keeping him as bait to lure you to her. But Peter will rescue him, I'm sure of it. He'll help you return home, too."

Susan scoffed. "He doesn't seem to like me at all."

"He's just under a lot of pressure; he's grumpy all the time. He had to take on many responsibilities after our mother died. He wasn't supposed to become king until he turned eighteen. He had to learn six years worth of lessons in a matter of months. While the Witch may call herself a queen, we are always preparing for the one day when she will be overthrown."

"And you think Edmund and I are supposed to defeat her?" she asked doubtfully. "Good luck with that."

"I'll peek in tomorrow morning to wake you for breakfast," Lucy said, ignoring Susan's negative attitude. "If you need anything, I'll be right down the hall, okay?" She smiled at Susan, then left.

Susan stared at the crown in her hands. It didn't look magical. But it is very pretty, she thought. It must be worth a fortune back in London.

Wait, Lucy said Jadis wanted this! Susan thought hard to remember Jadis's words. _"You want him back? That will never happen! You have nothing to offer and are in no state to fight me."_

She tightened her grip around the small tiara, her only bargaining tool for Edmund's life.

If this was all a dream, it would not matter what happened. If it wasn't… well, she had to rescue Edmund and find that lamppost. While Lucy said they would rescue Edmund, Susan doubted they would succeed. Perhaps if she could just talk to the Witch, make a deal. All she wanted was for her and her brother to go back home. She had no interest in defeating Jadis so Peter could be the real king, or whatever that prophecy had said.

"It's all up to me," she said quietly.

* * *

King Peter woke with heavy thoughts still lingering; his dreams had been cold and dark, the White Witch flitting in and out of them. He wasn't ready to get up, but he soon remembered that today his new armour would be finished. He dressed quickly and hurried down to the dining room, where Lucy was already having breakfast.

"You look awful," she commented, passing him the jam. "Bad dreams?"

"It's nothing, Lu," he replied, stacking toast on his plate. "You needn't worry about it." He noticed Susan's empty place. "Is she awake yet?"

"Yes, her bed was empty when I peeked in, but I don't know where she is."

The doors connecting the dining hall to the throne room burst open, and Trumpkin came jogging into the room, followed closely by one of the Watch gryphons. The dwarf knelt by King Peter's chair, panting heavily.

"Sire, Gryphon Baever reports that he saw the Lady Susan riding through the forest! I told him off, as there is no way she could have left the castle, and that she is here, eating breakfast with… you…" he trailed off, realizing that Susan was not at the table. "Where is she?"

"We don't know!" Lucy cried, standing. "Why is she out by herself? She could be killed!"

"Idiot girl," Peter mumbled.

"Peter, do something!" Lucy shouted, tears forming.

"Lu, what do you want me to do? Why would she run off anyway?" he asked, peeling an orange. "How could she get past our guards in the first place?"

However, Peter found himself reluctantly following Lucy and Trumpkin out to the stables, to see if any of the horses were missing. If one was, then the gryphon's story was true. Peter bit the inside of his cheek; one of the chestnut horses was indeed missing. Stupid girl!

"Trumpkin, tell at least four gryphons to scout from the skies; once they find her, have them detach the fastest flier to find me and guide me to her. You stay here and protect Lucy."

"Peter, what are you going to do?" Lucy asked, fearing the worst for Susan already. Trumpkin put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"I'm going to find her and bring her back. Guard, fetch me my new armour!"

* * *

_You have nothing to offer…_

She hadn't then, but she did now. Susan examined the gold crown, wondering if it would indeed be enough to buy Edmund back.

She had escaped from the castle just after dawn. She had spent an hour watching the guards, waiting for the right time to slip away, when their backs were turned. Once outside, she found that she was at the back of the castle, right near the stable. So she took a horse and rode out through the back gate. She was either very lucky with timing, or Cair Paravel wasn't guarded well.

She had not been sure which way to go at first, but then Susan remembered which way the sun had been setting when Jadis had kidnapped them. She had looked at the current sun and guessed that the two castles faced each other; she had found the front gate and rode in the opposite direction. She was quite proud of herself for managing it all so well.

Susan was tired and sleep-deprived, but she kept her eyes wide open for signs of Jadis or her castle. She was riding along the river; she knew it would eventually lead her to Edmund. I'm coming, she thought, I'm coming for you, Edmund…

She stopped near a large oak tree to let the horse rest. Susan leaned against it and watched the horse drink from the spring. She had never ridden a horse before, but she had seen pictures in books. It had looked easy enough, but she had discovered it was a lot hard than it looked! She had a feeling the horse knew what she was doing, and that it had been difficult on purpose, but it had submitted to her in the end. "Another thing I will have to do when I return home," she told herself. "See if I can remember how to ride a horse!"

"Oh you think you're going home, do you?"

Susan leapt up at Jadis's words. She turned to see the White Witch sitting in her carriage nearby, several wolves surrounding the wheels. Susan glancing at her horse, but saw that it had disappeared from the riverside. She heard it from her left; more wolves were chasing it down. One of them jumped at the horse and Susan averted her eyes. She might have to hear it, but she didn't want to see it.

Jadis had stepped out of her sled and approached. "Were you trying to find your way back home, _Susan_?" she asked, putting a bittersweet sound to the girl's name.

"N-no," she stammered, backing into the tree. "I was… I was actually trying to find you!"

The witch looked surprised. In the silence, Susan could hear the wolves devouring on what was left of her horse. She shuddered in disgust.

"That could very well be you next," Jadis laughed. "You have some nerve coming to me, I'll give you that."

"Please, give me my brother back," Susan begged. She had to offer a deal now, before Jadis made a move. "Please, all we want is to go home! We'll never come back and you don't have to worry about us ever again! We don't care about the prophecy, please—"

"You know of the prophecy?" Jadis interrupted icily. She pulled her scepter from beneath her furs. "I should kill you now. But first I want to know what rat you heard the prophecy from! Not many know of it, and I shall want to pay this creature a little visit…"

Jadis advanced, but she stopped when she saw what Susan had clutched in her hand.

"Ah, so the little brats gave you protection, I should have known it was them."

"I know you want this," Susan started. "And you have something I want."

Jadis looked amused. "You want to trade? Your pitiful piece of jewelry in exchange for Edmund? I think not. His is far more valuable than that trinket!"

Susan gaped at the witch. No, this plan was supposed to work! Lucy had said Jadis wanted this!

"But… but you want this! It has magic in it!"

The ice queen smirked. "Poor little Susan. You thought you were going to come here, retrieve your brother and be on your merry way, didn't you?" she taunted. "Well, you were wrong. Do it _now_, Maugrim!"

Susan moved just in time to avoid one of the wolves that had lunged at her from behind. She tumbled down into the snow, but picked herself up quickly and ran. Not a moment later, the wolves were behind her. "Surround her!" the biggest one barked in a rough voice. A scruffy wolf landed right in front of her, and Susan tripped over her feet trying to run around it.

An intense pain shot through her like a rocket. Susan screamed loudly and choked on fresh tears. The large wolf, Maugrim, had bit down into her ankle. The hem of her dress was soaked with blood, and so were the wolf's teeth.

"That's enough, Maugrim," Jadis ordered, waving her hand at the wolves, who backed away. She towered over Susan with a triumphant grin. "Any last words, Susan-dear?"

Susan watched in horror as Jadis raised her wand, ready to strike. "Please… no…" she begged one last time. In that moment she prepared herself for the possibility that this was _not_ a dream. She was going to die… Jadis brought down her wand in one swift motion, and many things happened at once.

Susan instinctively flung up her hands to protect herself. The sound of hooves on snow reached her ears; that couldn't be right though… her horse was dead. Jadis, distracted by the noise, turned to see what was happening. Susan's outstretched left pinkie finger made contact with the tip of the ice wand. And then the world stood still.

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_Please review, it means a lot to me! And motivates me to update faster hehe!_


	6. Reality

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

-wow, I am so incredibly sorry for not updating sooner! I have been so busy with school and color guard, and now fencing... I'm just exhausted all the time. So, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, so I'm sorry for that too. I'm not satisfied with the chapter name; I may change it later on.

Summary: Susan and her brother Edmund climb through a wardrobe into the magical world of Narnia. There, the White Witch rules cruelly, and she turns Edmund to stone. To get him back, Susan must enlist the help of young Queen Lucy and the overconfident High King Peter.

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_Part I_

_Chapter VI – Reality_

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He didn't exactly see what had happened, but Peter did hear the deafening screams that followed. Growling, he swung his sword at the White Witch again. However, she was too good, matching blow for blow, ice sparking as their weapons clashed. The centaurs that had accompanied him were busy fighting the wolves, and the gryphons were attacking the enemies from above. He wobbled atop his horse from all the movement, but no matter how jostled he was, his crown remained firmly on his blond head. He knew the White Witch knew this.

"Another time then, Peter-dear," she offered, blasting him back with a sweep of her wand. Then, she and her surviving wolves were gone.

Susan was only vaguely aware of the battle taking place around her. She was too focused on the blood. There was _so much_ blood… She was crying and screaming and staring transfixed at her left pinkie finger.

Where her left pinkie finger should have been.

It had all happened so fast! Susan had thrown her hands up for protection, and then something had distracted Jadis, so that she swung and missed stabbing Susan's chest. Instead, the wand tip had grazed a finger. The finger had turned to stone. And the momentum of Jadis's attack kept the staff moving, cutting right into the stone and breaking the finger off into tiny pieces.

Her finger was now shattered across the snow. There was too much pain in her hand to concentrate on anything else, but she was slightly aware of the nauseous feeling in her belly. Aware enough to lean over and retch into red snow. All she could see was blood, because she couldn't look at the mass of tissue and bone visible on her hand. She didn't know if it was blood from her hand or her ankle, but Susan had always been more squeamish than not. She threw up again.

"Are you really that _stupid_?"

She wiped her chin with her right hand and looked up to find Peter glaring down at her. She tried to answer but her throat was weak from vomiting. She ended up sobbing with pain when she accidentally looked at her hand.

"What in the world were doing?" he demanded. "You almost got yourself killed! _I_ could have been killed! Do you realize the damage you've caused with your foolishness? Two of our centaurs are dead because of you!"

Susan could barely hear his words over her own cries. She couldn't stop herself; her finger had just been chopped off. But he was right: she had almost _died_. The throbbing of her hand was no dream; this had to all be real. I almost died, Susan thought over and over. I almost died, and I lost a finger…!

A loud ripping noise brought her to her senses. Peter was tearing at the hem of her dress. Before she could protest, he had already torn off a large piece. He wrapped it tightly around her left hand, where it was instantly soaked.

"Stop crying," he told her.

Susan tried but could not stop sobbing. She looked at her bandage with a horrified expression, and Peter's glare softened. Yes, she was one stupid girl. But he said nothing more on it for the moment. He instructed several of the centaurs to return to the castle ahead of them. Then he tugged at Susan's arm.

"We need to get back to the castle now," he told her. "The Witch might return with backup; we need to move." Susan tried to stand, but her left ankle gave way immediately. Peter helped her up again, allowing her to lean on him for support. He was three years younger than her, but Susan found that Peter was about her height, and much stronger.

"I will carry her, Sire," one of the centaurs offered.

"No, I think it's best if she ride with me," Peter replied firmly. "Can you help her onto my horse?"

The centaur started to lift her, but Susan flailed so much that he had to put her down. Peter sighed impatiently. "What _now_?" he asked.

"The crown," she choked, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Where's the crown…?"

"Crown? What crown?"

"Your sister… Lucy gave me…"

"_Lucy gave you a crown_?" Peter asked roughly. "Where is it then?"

"I… I don't know!" Susan cried. "I must've dropped it somewhere!"

Peter could no longer contain his anger and frustration, and he decided to punch a tree. He might have preferred to punch Susan right then, but he had been taught better than to strike a woman. He returned to the grotesque spot where Susan had been sitting, but he could not find the crown.

"You lost the crown," he told her flatly. "I bet the White Witch took it; no wonder she left so quickly! You let the Witch get her hands on something that valuable! UGH what is _wrong_ with you?"

"I was trying to rescue my brother!" Susan shouted into his face. "All I wanted to do was rescue my brother! I just want to go home… I want to go home!" She began to cry all over again.

Peter had the centaur successfully mount Susan onto the horse, and he climbed up after her. After making sure her injured leg wouldn't move too much, he kicked his boots into his horse and rode off toward Cair Paravel.

"I'm sorry," Susan whispered, looking down at her bandage. "I'm really sorry…"

"Yeah? Well sorry won't bring back the Narnians we lost! Sorry won't rescue your brother or get you home!" he scolded. He felt her flinch away, and so when he continued, it was with a softer tone. "I know you're sorry. But you shouldn't have run off like that! You had no idea what you were doing and now one of our magical crowns is gone. You do realize you gave the Witch your only form of protection, right? We don't have another spare!"

"I said I'm sorry!"

"I know, I know… You just need to listen to us from now on; don't go running off by yourself!"

Susan sat across the horse uncomfortably, but she didn't complain; she was deep in thought about what was possibly happening. There was no more pretending it was all just a bad dream. The throbbing pain in her hand was real enough. But what did that mean? That she and Edmund had actually been transported to an alternate universe inside a wardrobe? It just didn't make sense. It was like something out of a fairytale; Susan liked fairytales, but they all had happy endings. Losing a finger was not a happy ending. And even if somehow _this_ was all really happening, surely the Professor or Mrs. Macready would have discovered it. Although… Mrs. Macready was hardly the type to explore wardrobes, and the Professor had probably never seen it. It had just been sitting there, collecting dust, until Susan and Edmund had stumbled upon it.

As they passed through the gates, Lucy ran forward to meet them. "Oh thank goodn— Peter, she's bleeding!"

"I know," he replied gruffly, dismounting his horse. He had one of the centaurs lift Susan and carry her inside. Then he turned back to Lucy.

"The Witch stole that crown you gave her! Now it's only a matter of time before she penetrates these walls! She will absorb the crown's magic and make it her own! Our mother's sacrifice is useless!"

Lucy sniffled. "Don't yell at me, Peter! I only gave her that crown for protection! If she hadn't had it, Susan would probably be dead!"

The siblings stared at each other, panting. Lucy, always the first to recover from their arguments, looked around for a change of subject.

"Where's her horse?"

Peter flinched; Lucy never took death well. "It… we couldn't find it. I think it must have run off during the battle." At Lucy's startled look, he told her about what happened.

"She lost a finger…?"

"I had Oreius take her to Healer Cloudbirth. Hopefully he can help."

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_Fun Fact: I listen to the Narnia soundtracks repeatedly while writing this story. It helps my inspiration and gets me in a Narnian mood haha._

_Please review, it helps to motivate me!  
_


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